Hi everyone!
Andrew’s back this week with another Fantastic Fest feature, a film starring one of the greatest comedians of all time, Eddie Murphy. I’m excited to hear his take on this film, as blacksploitation films are a personal favorite of mine, especially the films of Dolemite. He’ll let you know his thoughts in a minute, but for a few recent reviews from Andrew, check out “Fractured” (Episode #642), “In The Shadow Of The Moon” (Episode #635), and the absolutely amazing “Jojo Rabbit” (Episode #631). You definitely won’t regret that last one.
Before the review, we’ll have a promo from our friends at the Good Game, Great Game podcast. Every episode, the crew talks about the video games they’ve been playing, along with any related and unrelated topics. Be sure to check out Andrew Orsie’s guest review for “Scream 3” (Episode #600) as part of Reign of Terror 2019! You can find them on Twitter and Instagram @GoodGreatGame.
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Here we go!
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Hello film fans!
Andrew here. Back this week with the fourth and final Netflix production to debut at the 2019 Fantastic Fest. There were two secret screenings at this year’s festival and unlike last year, the secrets stayed under wraps. In 2018, it was known that the SUSPIRIA remake was scheduled for release shortly after the festival and there weren’t many other likely contenders for the one mystery movie slot. The rumor mill proved right and the audience was neither surprised nor disappointed when they introduced SUSPIRIA (Episode #418) which garnered generally positive reviews. This year proved far more exciting with the two secret screening slots and a plethora of possible pictures, including JOKER, DOCTOR SLEEP, UNCUT GEMS, ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP, THE LIGHTHOUSE (which ended up being one of the two) and...
Today’s movie is DOLEMITE IS MY NAME, the 2019 biographical comedy written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski and directed by Craig Brewer. The film stars Eddie Murphy as Rudy Ray Moore - nightclub MC, stand-up comic, rhythm & blues singer, and all-around entertainer. The year is 1970 and Moore, now in his late 40s, has seen some modest success as a local act in Los Angeles, but still spends his days clerking at a record shop to make ends meet. Moore is inspired by a swaggering vagrant carrying on about the legendary and entirely fictional character known as Dolemite. Moore ends up lifting much of the Dolemite persona, borrowing and embellishing on the original material, before performing in character at a comedy club. Delivering raunchy stories in the style of a beat poet, Moore becomes a sensation, self-releasing several comedy albums recorded in his living room. Before long, he sets his sights on bringing Dolemite to the silver screen.
Spoiler Alert: DOLEMITE made it to the big screen in 1975 and was an absolute box office smash. DOLEMITE IS MY NAME is about Moore’s quest to make it all happen. Going in, I assumed I would be at a disadvantage, having only a passing familiarity with the original DOLEMITE as a lesser member of the blaxploitation pantheon - up there with characters such as SHAFT, FOXY BROWN, SUPER FLY and TRUCK TURNER.
Fortunately, this was not the case. The story here is a universal message of the power of positivity and believing in one’s self, as cheesy as that may sound for a comedy that sports a hard R-rating. Rudy Ray Moore may have been a shameless self-promoter in his quest for fame, but he also labored hard for representation in the arts. His backers were primarily his family and friends, who frequently gave of their time and lent him money. An organizer and a motivator, Moore was by all accounts the hardest working man on set, involved in every aspect of the low-budget production.
DOLEMITE IS MY NAME is so fun-loving that it’s almost overwhelming in its earnestness. Sure, there are struggles along the way, mostly when it comes to finances or minor differences in creative opinion. My one gripe is that it’s such a feel-good movie that the lack of conflict undersells what must have been an incredibly fraught time for Moore and his crew as they filmed a motion picture with a cast and crew largely made up of amateurs.
While the film may lack tension, it suffers from no shortage of lewd humor and bawdy physical comedy. Moore was not afraid to press the boundaries of good taste, another reason why he would often struggle to find financial backing. Much of the humor is decades out of touch with modern standards of political correctness, but it can all be appreciated for its place within the time period. The moments in between the reenactments of old jokes are filled with real humor and wit - and that’s where the heart of the film resides.
What makes DOLEMITE IS MY NAME fantastic? This magic of this movie is in the performances. Eddie Murphy is as electric as he was prior to the turn of the millennium. With multiple massive-paycheck Netflix stand-up specials in the works along with BEVERLY HILLS COP 4 and COMING 2 AMERICA (you hear me saying the number “2” there, right?), this may be the film that sparks his renaissance. You get Keegan-Michael Key playing it straight as refined screenwriter Jerry Jones. Wesley Snipes signs on as D’Urville Martin, Hollywood actor and DOLEMITE director, slumming it with the shoestring production. Throw in performances by Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess, and Chris Rock, as well as newcomer Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Lady Reed and this film has almost too many weapons.
DOLEMITE IS MY NAME (2019) is a captivating, soulful comedy, affirming the power of the human spirit, and one that you absolutely must not watch with your parents or your kids. Fans of other true-life comedies about off-beat creative visionaries such as THE DISASTER ARTIST (Episode #153) or MAN ON THE MOON will enjoy this film.
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% (CERTIFIED FRESH)
Metacritic: 76
One Movie Punch: 8.4/10
DOLEMITE IS MY NAME is rated R and streaming on Netflix.
Come back after the weekend and to catch me pinch-hitting for Joseph on Matinee Monday. I’ll be talking KNIVES OUT. Writer-director Rian Johnson already had an eclectic filmography, so why wouldn’t he follow up THE LAST JEDI with an Agatha Christie-inspired mystery with one of the most ridiculous all-star casts ever assembled? KNIVES OUT hits theaters for Thanksgiving so we’ll keep it spoiler-free. See you then.
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